Azodicarbonamide

Azodicarbonamide is a flour bleaching agent and dough conditioner, permitted in the United States but not in the European Union or Australia. It became widely known because the same compound is used to make foamed plastics, which produced the nickname the yoga mat chemical.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Azodicarbonamide by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted, with conditions21 CFR 172.806retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFANot listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited.

What it is made from

Produced by chemical synthesis from urea and hydrazine. In dough it decomposes rapidly to biurea; the regulatory questions concern that breakdown and the trace semicarbazide it can form during baking.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
InChIKey
XOZUGNYVDXMRKW-AATRIKPKSA-N
PubChem
CID 5462814

Every name it appears under

61 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

CAS registry number

  • 123-77-3

As it appears in regulation

  • Azodicarbonamide

Other names

  • (E)-(carbamoylimino)urea
  • 1,1'-AZOBIS(FORMAMIDE)
  • 1,1'-Azobis[formamide]
  • 1,1'-Azobiscarbamide
  • 1,1'-Azobisformamide
  • 1,1'-Azodiformamide
  • 1,2-Diazenedicarboxamide
  • ABFA
  • AZM 2S
  • Azobis CA 110B
  • Azobis CA 51C
  • Azobiscarbonamide
  • Azobiscarboxamide
  • Azobisformamide
  • Azocel
  • Azodicarbamide
  • Azodicarboamide
  • Azodicarbonamide
  • Azodicarboxamide
  • Azodicarboxylic acid diamide
  • Azodiformamide
  • Azoform A
  • Azoformamide
  • Azoplastone
  • C,C'-Azodi(formamide)
  • Celogen AZ
  • Celogen AZ 130
  • Celogen AZ 199
  • Celosen AZ
  • ChKhz 21
  • ChKhZ 21r
  • delta(1,1')-Biurea
  • Diazenedicarboxamide
  • Evipor
  • Ficel EP-A
  • Formamide, 1,1'-azobis-
  • Genitron AC
  • Genitron AC 2
  • Genitron AC 4
  • Genitron EPC
  • Kempore
  • Kempore 125
  • Kempore 60/40
  • Kempore R 125
  • Lucel ADA
  • Nitropore
  • Pinhole ACR 3
  • Pinhole AK 2
  • Poramid K 1
  • Porofor 505
  • Porofor ADC/R
  • Porofor ChKhZ 21
  • Porofor ChKhZ 21R
  • Porofor DhKhZ 21
  • Porofor-lk 1074 (bayer)
  • Unifoam AZ
  • Unifoam AZH 25
  • Uniform AZ
  • Yunihomu AZ

Hazard reference values

No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/azodicarbonamide.json